Synthetic polymer matrices including pre-organized chelation sites for the selective and reversible binding of metals

Abstract

Selective, crosslinked chelating polymers are produced by substituting an acyclic chelating agent with a polymerizable functional group. The resulting substituted acyclic chelating agent is then complexed with the target metal ion. A crosslinkable monomer is then added and the complexed material is crosslinked. The complexed metal is then removed, providing a crosslinked polymeric chelating agent that has been templated for the target metal ion.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A crosslinked polymer that includes sites that specifically bind to a first target metal ion, said polymer being the product of: 
       substituting a first chelating agent with a first polymerizable functional group to form a first polymerizable chelating agent;  
       complexing said first polymerizable chelating agent with said first target metal ion;  
       polymerizing said complexed first polymerizable chelating agent with a crosslinkable monomer to form said crosslinked polymer;  
       removing said first target metal ion from said crosslinked polymer.  
     
     
       2. The crosslinked polymer of claim  1 , said polymer being the product of the further steps of: 
       substituting a second chelating agent with a second polymerizable functional group to form a second polymerizable chelating agent;  
       complexing a mixture of said first polymerizable chelating agent and said second polymerizable chelating agent with said first target metal ion;  
       polymerizing said complexed first and second polymerizable chelating agents with a crosslinkable monomer to form said crosslinked polymer;  
       removing said first target metal ion from said crosslinked polymer.  
     
     
       3. The crosslinked polymer of claim  1 , said polymer being the product of the further steps of: 
       complexing said first polymerizable chelating agent with a mixture of said first target metal ion and a second target metal ion;  
       polymerizing said complexed first polymerizable chelating agent with a crosslinkable monomer to form said crosslinked polymer;  
       removing said first target metal ion and said second target metal ion from said crosslinked polymer, thereby providing a crosslinked polymer that specifically chelates said first metal ion and said second metal ion.  
     
     
       4. The crosslinked polymer of claim  1 , wherein said first chelating agent is selected from the group consisting of:                    
       where n is 2 to 6, inclusive, and 
       X is CH 2  or                    
     
     
       5. The crosslinked polymer of claim  1 , wherein said first polymerizable functional group is selected from the group consisting of a vinylbenzyl group, an acryloyl group, and a methacryloyl group. 
     
     
       6. The crosslinked polymer of claim  1 , wherein said crosslinkable monomer is selected from the group consisting of 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol trimethacrylate; vinylbenzene; orthodivinlylbenzene or paradivinylbenzene; orthovinylpyridine, paravinylpyridine; acrylamide; methacrylamide, N,N′-methylene-bisacrylamide; N,N′-phenylene-bisacrylamide; 2,6-bisacylamidopyridine; ethylene glycol dimethacrylate; and pentaerythritol tetraacrylate. 
     
     
       7. The polymer of claim  1 , wherein said first target metal ion is a di- or higher valent metal ion. 
     
     
       8. The crosslinked polymer of claim  7 , wherein said first target metal ion is Cu 2+ . 
     
     
       9. A method of forming a crosslinked, chelating polymer, comprising the steps of: 
       substituting a first chelating agent with a first polymerizable functional group to form a first polymerizable chelating agent;  
       complexing said first polymerizable chelating agent with said first target metal ion;  
       polymerizing said complexed first polymerizable chelating agent with a crosslinkable monomer to form said crosslinked polymer;  
       removing said first target metal ion from said crosslinked polymer.  
     
     
       10. The method of claim  9 , wherein said first chelating agent is selected from the group consisting of:                    
       where n is 2 to 6, inclusive, and 
       X is CH 2  or                    
     
     
       11. The method of claim  9 , wherein said first polymerizable functional group is selected from the group consisting of a vinylbenzyl group, an acryloyl group, and a methacryloyl group. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  9 , wherein said crosslinkable monomer is selected from the group consisting of 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol trimethacrylate; vinylbenzene; orthodivinlylbenzene or paradivinylbenzene; orthovinylpyridine, paravinylpyridine; acrylamide; methacrylamide, N,N′-methylene-bisacrylamide; N,N′-phenylene-bisacrylamide; 2,6-bisacylamidopyridine; ethylene glycol dimethacrylate; and pentaerythritol tetraacrylate. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim  9 , wherein said first target metal ion is a di- or higher valent metal ion. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim  13 , wherein said first target metal ion is Cu 2+ . 
     
     
       15. A method of selectively chelating first target metal ion, said method comprising the step of contacting a solution including said first target metal ion with the crosslinked polymer of claim  1 . 
     
     
       16. A method of selectively chelating a target metal ion, said method comprising the step of contacting a solution including said target metal ion with the crosslinked polymer of claim  4 . 
     
     
       17. A method of selectively chelating a target metal ion, said method comprising the step of contacting a solution including said target metal ion with the crosslinked polymer of claim  5 . 
     
     
       18. A method of selectively chelating a target metal ion, said method comprising the step of contacting a solution including said target metal ion with the crosslinked polymer of claim  6 . 
     
     
       19. A method of selectively chelating a target metal ion, said method comprising the step of contacting a solution including said target metal ion with the crosslinked polymer of claim  7 . 
     
     
       20. A method of selectively chelating a target metal ion, said method comprising the step of contacting a solution including said target metal ion with the crosslinked polymer of claim  8 .